#BinanceHODLerTree
🔍 Who Runs Binance? — Ownership & Leadership
Founders & Ultimate Ownership
Changpeng Zhao (CZ) and Yi He founded Binance in July 2017. CZ previously served as CEO but stepped down in late 2023 after pleading guilty to U.S. money laundering charges and serving a sentence in early 2024 .
CZ retains significant ownership through offshore entities including Binance Capital Management (BVI), Binance Holdings (Cayman Islands), and Binance Investments (Seychelles) .
Yi He continues to serve as co-founder and holds strategic business responsibilities .
Current Corporate Governance
As of April 2025, Binance transitioned to a board-led structure. Richard Teng is now CEO, appointed in November 2023, stepping into the leadership role post-CZ .
The board includes independent directors like Gabriel Abed (Chairman), Xin Wang, Arnaud Ventura, Lilai Wang, Heina Chen, and Jinkai “Rock” He, along with Binance US board appointees such as Martin Grant and Gin Chao .
Structure & Affiliates
Binance operates globally without a centralized headquarters, maintaining a decentralized corporate presence across multiple jurisdictions .
Affiliates include Binance Labs, Launchpad, Trust Wallet, Charity, NFT marketplace, and major acquisitions like CoinMarketCap, all falling under the broader Binance ecosystem .
